Pongo

Pongo is a star. People are drawn to him because of his charming and charismatic personality coupled with his handsomeness. Although most male orangutans are solitary creatures, Pongo loves the special attention he gets at the sanctuary from visitors and his caretakers. Pongo came to the Suncoast Primate Sanctuary from another animal park after they tried to integrate him with some of their other orangutans. He was not interested in being with other orangutans, preferring the company of his caretakers. 

Pongo’s birthday is March 3, 1996. The big cheek pads you can see on Pongo are only developed by some male orangutans once they’ve reached full maturity (also referred to as a flanged male). They help expand the range the male orangutan’s chortle can be heard from. Pongo will make a breathtaking chortle for the caretakers he is attracted to, or when he is happy. He chortled along with visitors who sang and played the guitar for him one time, it was such a special interaction.

In the wild, orangutans eat fruit, young leaves and bark, flowers, eggs, and insects. At SPS, Pongo eats seasonal fruits and vegetables and specially formulated primate biscuits. For enrichment, he will get special treats as well. Pongo loves bananas, especially when you peel them for him, but you must also get that little string off. He does not like the string on the side of bananas. He loves fruits, romaine lettuce, spinach, and kale, and has quite a sweet tooth. Twizzlers are always a favorite treat for Pongo, but recently we have noticed that he loves little peppermint candies. 

Pongo takes to his female caretakers much quicker than with his male caretakers. He can be a bit ornery by spitting or storming around his enclosure and pushing his barrels around when he is first getting to know his male caretakers. Conversely, he will sit and visit with his female caretakers and often try to groom them with a straw.  He loves to play tug-of-war with anything possible, we usually play with his blankets. He has great aim and will toss his food peels out of the enclosure, often where his caretaker can catch it. Pongo enjoys flipping through magazines and being read to. He seems most interested in books with real animal photos in them. He has a TV for special enrichment time and is smart enough to point to the movie he wants to watch when his caretakers hold up different options for him. Currently, he has been picking Monsters Inc., Snow Buddies, Madagascar, and The Wizzard of Oz.